The essence of Chod practice is to develop the perfection of Wisdom.During the second sermon, Lord Buddha Shakyamuni gave the Prajnaparamita teaching to his followers. The essence of his teaching was to develop the perfect wisdom of Enlightenment. Later on, the Indian saint Dampa Sangye and a Tibetan great master Machig Labdron introduced a unique method of cutting ego clinging instantly based on the essence of the Prajnaparamita teaching. In Tibetan, this practice is called Chod.

This practice then flourished and spread throughout the entire Himalayan region. In Tibet, the practitioners of the Chod practice established the Shijed Tradition. Many masters practised Chod and attained Enlightenment within one lifetime. One of the main lineage holders in the later years was the 3rd Karmapa, Rangjung Dorje. Through His Holiness, the lineage of Shijed flowed into the Karma Kagyud tradition. It is extensively practiced in the monasteries and hermitages of the Karma Kagyud practitioners.

Chod is a method using a drum and a bell and has been practiced for centuries. The combination of the nice melody of the chanting and the instruments makes the whole atmosphere blessed. It is a method for healing and cutting through the root of defilement, that is the ego clinging or the attachment to self and phenomena and all the subsequent defilements such as hatred, desire, pride, fear, fixation and ignorance; that arise from it.Benefits of the practice

The main practice of Chod is to recognise the defilements of ego clinging, attachment to oneself and phenomena, which obstruct the Path to Enlightenment. The practice awakens one's awareness of the pure nature of emotions and the emptiness of mental obscuration, thus rid one of the roots defilements of hatred, desire and ignorance. The practice is also a powerful tool for accumulating merits because one practices the generosity of offering one's body to the objects of Refuge, Lamas, Meditational Deities, Dakinis, Protectors, as well as to the gods, spirits and to many other beings to whom we owe karmic debts.